Welcome to the 1987 Oscars for the films of 1986 — arguably one of the greatest years for movies…ever! Nearly every category is stacked with worthy entries, but as always, there are a few Oscar oddities, snubs and things to make you go ‘Hmm.’ Mostly, this Oscars has everything — from a born writer/filmmaker spinning his most harrowing wartime experiences into Oscar gold; to a deaf newbie beating out a string of 80’s acting legends; to an aging legend finally getting their Oscar due.
In a year when nearly all the top talent in Hollywood was creating art — it helps you appreciate how movies can tell diverse, complex stories with the power to stay with you forever. Oh, and you’ll also hear Bruce's behind the scenes stories about working on Hollywood Squares and Sidney Lumet's 'The Morning After!' As always, thanks for listening!
FILMS REFERENCED
(* Recommended)
*Top Gun
*Crocodile Dundee
**Platoon
Karate Kid 2
*Star Trek 4: The Voyage Home
*Back to School
**Aliens
**Alien
The Golden Child
**Ruthless People
**Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
*Something Wild
*Down & Out in Beverly Hills
**Mosquito Coast
**The Color of Money
**Hoosiers
*Salvador
*Peggy Sue Got Married
*In the Name of the Rose
*Foul Play
*Seems Like Old Times
*A Room With a View
**Children of a Lesser God
**The Mission
*Hannah and her Sisters
*Caged
**The Deer Hunter
**Apocalypse Now
Gandhi
Chariots of Fire
Empire of the Sun
*She’s Gotta Have It
**Stand By Me
**Blue Velvet
**‘Round Midnight
*Born on the Fourth of July
**JFK
The Doctor
Wrestling Ernest Hemmingway
Dance With Me
**The Hustler
*Mona Lisa
**Who Framed Roger Rabbit
*Hud
**Cool Hand Luke
*Absence of Malice
**The Verdict
Heartburn
Sid & Nancy
Jaws 4: The Revenge
Poltergeist 2
Crimes of the Heart
The Morning After
*Carrie
*Monsters Ball
Catwoman
*My Beautiful Launderette
At Close Range
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1:17:35
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1:17:35
1994 - Oskar’s (Schindler) Oscar
Finally! Finally, that Steven Spielberg fellow did something worthy of an Oscar. We’re kidding of course, but it is shockingly true that after 20 years of making some of the greatest films of all-time, Spielberg finally got his richly deserved Oscar.
And while Schindler's List would earn several more awards that evening (including Best Picture) the Academy would still find a way to mess it up. Join us for an absolute banner year for movies as we debate the snubs, flubs, oversights and deserving wins — as well as Bruce's role in this history making Oscar’s telecast! As always, thanks for listening and joining us at The Oscars!
MOVIES MENTIONED
(*Recommended)
*Schindler’s List
*The Piano
*The Remains of the Day
*The Fugitive
*In the Name of the Father
*Philadelphia
In the Age of Innocence
*Cliffhanger
*In the Line of Fire
*Jurassic Park
*Farewell my Concubine
*The Firm
Orlando
*Shadowlands
Sleepless in Seattle
*What’s Love Got to Do with It
Shortcuts
*M*A*S*H
*Nashville
The Player
Gosford Park
*Close Encounters of the Third Kind
*Raiders of the Lost Ark
*E.T.
*Jaws
*Fearless
The Man With One Red Shoe
Turner & Hooch
*Big
*In and Out
*Groundhog’s Day
Mrs. Doubtfire
Six Degrees of Separation
*Broadcast News
*Terms of Endearment
*Urban Cowboy
Black Widow
*What’s Eating Gilbert Grape
Under Siege
*Paper Moon
*Dave
*Dazed & Confused
*Rudy
*The Nightmare Before Christmas
*Alive
*Army of Darkness
*El Mariachi
*Falling Down
*Indecent Proposal
*Naked
*Blue (Three Colors Trilogy)
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1:06:14
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1:06:14
The Oscars and The Sundance Kid - Special Episode
With the passing of Hollywood legend Robert Redford on Sept. 16th, we were moved to do a special episode of THE OSCARS: WWTT? in order to honor his legacy and commemorate his relationship with The Oscars. Enjoy hearing about some great films and some fun movie history as we celebrate The Natural who made it look too easy.
Robert Redford Films Referenced
Barefoot in the Park
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
The Candidate
Jeremiah Johnson
The Way We Were
The Sting
The Great Gatsby
Three Days of the Condor
All the President's Men
A Bridge Too Far
The Electric Horseman
Brubaker
Ordinary People
The Natural
Out of Africa
The Milagro Beanfield War
A River Runs Through It
Quiz Show
Indecent Proposal
The Horse Whisperer
The Last Castle
Spy Game
The Clearing
All is Lost
The Conspirator
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Avengers Endgame
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47:47
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47:47
2012 - Silence is Golden at the Oscars
Welcome to the 2012 Academy Awards, a year just outside our ‘test-of-time’ range for judging the merits of the winners, non-winners, and forgotten gems. This year featured a lot of very good movies but no true odds-on favorite, which is why the eventual winner is seen as kind of a let down. So who or what should have won? What should have been nominated and wasn’t? Are there too many nominees in the first place leading to a paradox of choice (where it’s hard to even make a decision). Not to mention, what might be the best movie of the year wasn’t even considered for a Best Picture Oscar. Bruce and “Tex” get into it all as they try to make sense of a crazy year with Oscar imitating Art… Or in this case, The Artist.
Movies Mentioned
(*Recommended)
Tower Heist
*The Descendants
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
*The Help
*Midnight in Paris
*The Artist
*Hugo
*Moneyball
*Warhorse
The Tree Life
*Bridesmaids
*We Need to Talk About Kevin
J Edgar
*Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
*Drive
*A Better Life
*Bicycle Thieves
*Celebrity
*Take Shelter
My Week With Marilyn
The Prince and the Showgirl
*The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
*Albert Nobbs
The Iron Lady
*Young Adult
Warrior
Beginners
*21 Jump Street
*Superbad
*Margin Call
*The Father
**A Separation
*The Ides of March
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1:16:31
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1:16:31
1935 - It Happened One Oscars
Welcome Oscars fans to the 7th Academy Awards (it definitely wasn’t called The Oscars yet) — as we dive into the 1935 Oscars for the films of 1934.
Now some of you might be thinking, ‘How can awards for films this old possibly be interesting today?’ To which we say, get ready because things are going to get wild!
For starters, there were 12 nominees for best picture (and they still got some wrong!) There were also awards that are no longer given out as well as no awards for things we award today. The Hays Code had just begun in mid-1934, affecting the way movies were made. An actress was in three of the Best Picture nominees (a record that still stands) — and on top of it all, the winner this year just so ‘happened’ to set the template for every RomCom you love (or love to hate) today.
Trust us when we say you’re going to have a treat learning about some incredible movies you probably never heard of but you’ll be glad you did once you see them! As always, thanks for joining us at The Oscars!
Movies Mentioned
(*Recommended)
*It Happened One Night
*The Thin Man
*Imitation of Life
Flirtation Walk
Here Comes the Navy
*The House of Rothschild
One Night of Love
*The Barretts of Wimpole Street
*The Gay Divorcee
*Viva Villa!
*Cleopatra (Cecil B. DeMille version)
The White Parade (nearly impossible to see)
*The Affairs of Cellini
*Of Human Bondage
*Manhattan Melodrama
Eskimo
Flying Down to Rio
*Gone With the Wind
*Dangerous
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Ever watched the Academy Awards and thought, What were they thinking? You’re not alone. Join legendary comedian and writer of over 25 Oscar telecasts, Bruce Vilanch, and screenwriter/film nerd Adam “Tex” Davis (Just Friends) as they dive into Oscar history, unpacking the flubs, snubs, and surprises from Hollywood’s biggest night. From behind-the-scenes stories of A-list stars to insider insights on how the nominations and winners are really chosen, Bruce and Tex break down each Oscar ceremony year by year to reveal what the Academy got right—and what they didn’t. If you’ve ever questioned why your favorite movie or actor got overlooked, this podcast is for you. The Oscars: What Were They Thinking?
Did you know that two of the Top 100 American Films of All-Time came out the same year but weren’t even nominated for an Academy Award? Or that the film often cited as the ‘Greatest Film of All Time’ didn’t win the Oscar in its year? Or that Cuba Gooding Jr. has the same number of acting Oscars as Al Pacino?
Look, stuff happens. But if you’ve ever watched or read about the Academy Awards, you’ve probably been left scratching your head over which movies and performers won – and how many beloved films weren’t even considered.
Why do so many Best Picture winners become some of the least remembered movies? How is it that legendary directors like Stanley Kubrick never won an Oscar? And why do great actors miss out on their best performances, only to win later for less impressive work?
Sure, the Oscars aren’t sports – there’s no scoreboard to show the winners. But with so many Academy members voting, you’d think they’d get it right. Spoiler alert: They often don’t.
On The Oscars: What Were They Thinking?, Bruce Vilanch and Adam “Tex” Davis take a deep dive into Oscar history, looking back at the biggest mistakes, controversies, and snubs. From Shakespeare in Love beating Saving Private Ryan to Dances with Wolves winning over Goodfellas, we’ll examine where the Academy went wrong.
Along the way, you’ll hear incredible behind-the-scenes stories and never-before-told moments from Hollywood’s biggest night. We’re re-examining each Oscar ceremony, year-by-year, award-by-award, to see what the Academy got right, what they missed, and how we would “fix” the Oscars.
Whether you’re a dedicated movie buff or just a casual fan, this is the podcast for you. Join us for The Oscars: What Were They Thinking?, where we break down the flubs, snubs, and forgotten gems of Oscar history.
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